‘Diana lost control during party’: Suspects’ statements recorded in alleged rape case
New evidence, court statements and developments have emerged in the alleged gang rape case involving an Azerbaijani woman, Diana, in Lahore, with police recording statements of the suspects and collecting evidence from a Defence apartment.
A judicial magistrate at Lahore’s Cantt Kacheri granted three-day physical remand of arrested suspect Muskan, while police continued questioning the other suspects.
Documents allegedly related to Diana’s marriage in Jhelum and a new video showing her with a young man have also surfaced, prompting investigators to expand the scope of the probe.
During the proceedings, Muskan told the court that she had met Diana at a party, where Diana shared her mobile number with her and Nimra and invited them to different parties.
The main suspect, Mohsin, told investigators that he first met Diana on September 25 at a private housing society.
Another suspect, Ali, claimed that Diana had “lost control” during a party at the Defence apartment and started fighting inside the vehicle after they reached Ghazi Road, before getting out of the car on her own.
During an earlier hearing, Judicial Magistrate Azhar Mahmood asked Muskan whether she wanted to undergo a medical examination. She replied that she did not want to have one.
In her statement recorded under Section 164 before Judicial Magistrate Muhammad Sagheer, Diana alleged that she arrived in Islamabad from Istanbul on September 13 and later travelled to Lahore, where she met Nimra and Muskan.
Diana alleged that Nimra took money from the suspects, while Mohsin, Ahmed and Ali Zain confined her in a separate room of an apartment, forcibly made her drink alcohol and allegedly assaulted her.
She further alleged that the suspects took her iPhone, Redmi mobile phone and a bag containing Rs200,000 in cash before pushing her out of a vehicle. She said local residents subsequently helped her contact police.
According to the police investigation, five suspects, including two women and three men, have so far been arrested in connection with the case registered at Defence C police station. Police are also questioning six close associates of the suspects.
Investigators said Diana’s medical report had confirmed alleged sexual assault. Police have also included photographs taken at a café in Johar Town and videos of her visit to the Punjab Assembly in the case record.
Police officials said efforts were under way to recover Diana’s two mobile phones and cash, while all records sought by the prosecutor were being legally examined.